Automatic icing machine for cakes

ABSTRACT

This invention provides apparatus for dispensing material such as icing into sequential trays or similar containers. The containers are moved in sequence along a conveyor and a nozzle delivers the material to each container sequentially. Controlling means insert the nozzle above each container immediately behind its leading edge, following which the nozzle dispenses material into the container as the latter moves beneath the nozzle. The nozzle subsequently reaches a position immediately forward of the trailing edge of the container at which point the dispensing of material is halted. Preferably, the nozzle is both inserted and withdrawn in the direction of container movement, and in each case the nozzle movement has a component in the direction of container movement which is faster than the simultaneous speed of the containers.

1 1 Aug. 19, 1975 United States Patent 1191 Hamer et a1.

[54] AUTOMATIC ICING MACHINE FOR CAKES 2,917,272 12/1959 Kollman @1111. 118/25 x Inventors: Brian Hamer, Brampton; David G. g

Doman, Mississauga, both of Primary lzxamtnerR1chard E. Aegerter Canada Assistant Examiner-Frederick R. Schmidt Attorney, Agent, or FirmSim & McBurney Canada [57] ABSTRACT This invention provides apparatus for dispensing mate- [22] Filed:

pp NOJ 440,342 rial such as icing into sequential trays or similar containers. The containers are moved in sequence along a conveyor and a nozzle delivers the material to each [30] Foreign Application Priority Data container sequentially. Controlling means insert the 1973 Ummd 7311/73 nozzle above each container immediately behind its leading edge, following which the nozzle dispenses [52] US. 141/1; 118/323; 141/129; 141/284 B65B 3/04 material into the container as the latter moves beneath the nozzle. The nozzle subsequently reaches a position [51] Int.

immediately forward of the trailing edge of the con- [58] Field of Search........1.. 99/4507; 118/7, 24, 25

tainer at which point the dispensing of material is halted. Preferably, the nozzle is both inserted and 392 withdrawn in the direction of container movement,

6 R f d and in each case the nozzle movement has a compo- [5 l e erences nent in the direction of container movement which is UNITED STATES PATENTS faster than the simultaneous speed of the containers.

2,747,539 5/1956 118/323 x 2,830,846 4/1958 118/323 )4 14 Clalms, 8 Drawmg Flgures PATENTED AUG-I 9 I975 sum 1 m 7 SHIT 2 OF 7 PATENTEU AUIH 91975 FIG. 2

PATENTED AUG-1 91975 SHEET 3 BF PATENTEUAUG1 9l975 SHEET U 1F PATENTEU AUG1 9 m5 3 900 O54 saw 6 BF 7 FIG. 6

PATENTEDAUG'I 91915 $900,054

AUTOMATIC ICING MACHINE FOR CAKES This invention relates generally to the area of applying an icing on a batter cake subsequent to the baking of the cake.

BACKGROUND OF THIS INVENTION Conventional processes used by present-day massproducers of iced batter cakes require that the icing on the cake be spread by hand. In a typical assemblyline operation, there could be eight to twelve persons, each with a spreading knife, working from either side of a conveyor upon which the baked cakes are carried. A machine disposed above the conveyor deposits a measured amount of icing in a lump on top of each cake, and the Spreaders spread the icing uniformly (more or less) over the cake surface by hand.

DISADVANTAGES OF THE PRIOR ART Obviously, the conventional method, requiring a large number of persons performing a tedious job, is unsatisfactory for a number of reasons. The primary disadvantage is that of cost, since the number of manhours per conveyor is considerable. The second disadvantage relates to quality control. The nonuniform performance encountered among a number of workers performing the same job inevitably results in a percentage of the cakes being rejected. One reason for rejection, for example, is the appearance of any icing outside of the cardboard covering sheet. Yet another disadvantage of the conventional system relates to the speed at which the icing, covering and crimping of baked cakes can take place. Since the spreaders are working from the side of a conveyor, there is a limit placed on the width of a single conveyor. The requirement that the conveyor move at a speed which is not too great automatically restricts the quantity of cakes per unit time that can be processed in this way.

OBJECTS OF THIS INVENTION In view of the foregoing disadvantages, it is among the objects of this invention to provide a completely automatic apparatus by which previously baked cakes in foil containers or the like can be sequentially iced at a very high rate of speed, and with virtually no risk that a cake will be rejected on account of human error.

It is also among the objects of this invention to provide a method for the automatic icing of previously baked cakes in sequence at a very high rate of speed, and with virtually no risk of a cake being rejected on account of human error.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THIS INVENTION Accordingly, it is one aspect of this invention to provide an apparatus for sequentially icing a plurality of cakes contained in trays, comprising: conveying means for conveying said trays sequentially in a first direction such that each tray has a leading edge and a trailing edge, nozzle means above the trays for delivering icing to each cake tray sequentially, means for inserting the nozzle means above each cake rearwardly adjacent the leading edge of the respective tray, for holding said nozzle means above the cake as the latter passes under the nozzle means in said first direction, and for withdrawing the nozzle means away from the cake when the cake has advanced so as to bring the nozzle means to a position forwardly adjacent the trailing edge of the respective tray, and control means for initiating icing flow from the nozzle means upon insertion and for terminating said flow upon withdrawal.

In accordance with a further aspect of this invention, the means for inserting the nozzle means mentioned above includes a rotatable member having an axis of rotation and a pivot point eccentric of said axis, means for intermittently and repeatedly rotating said rotatable member a full turn about said axis, and linking means for transferring the motion of said pivot point to the nozzle means such that the nozzle means undergoes loop movement which is at least a facsimile of the movement of the pivot point, said loop movement including initial motion at a first level in the direction of tray movement, intermediate motion at a higher level in the opposite direction from that of tray movement, and final motion at said first elevation in the direction of tray movement, said loop movement of the nozzle means resulting in the withdrawal of the nozzle means from one cake and the insertion of the nozzle means with respect to the next subsequent cake. In accordance with a preferred aspect of this invention, the initial motion and the final motion of the nozzle means are both faster than the speed of tray movement during rotation of the rotatable member.

In accordance with a further aspect of this invention, there is provided a method for sequentially icing a plurality of cakes contained in trays, comprising the steps: conveying said trays sequentially in a first direction such that each tray has a leading edge and a trailing edge, providing nozzle means above the tray adapted to deliver icing intermittently, inserting the nozzle means above each cake rearwardly adjacent the leading edge of the respective tray and initiating icing flow through the nozzle means onto the cake, holding the nozzle means above the cake as the same passes under the nozzle means in said first direction and continuing the icing flow through said nozzle means, and withdrawing the nozzle means away from the cake when the cake has advanced to where the nozzle means is located forwardly adjacent the trailing edge of the respective tray, while simultaneously terminating icing flow through said nozzle. In accordance with a preferred aspect of this invention, both the inserting and the withdrawing of the nozzle means is such that the nozzle means has a speed component in said first direction which is faster than the concurrent speed of the trays.

In accordance with a further preferred aspect of this invention, the nozzle means is raised slightly and lowered again as each cake passes under the nozzle means, thereby to allow for the crown of the cake in the cake tray.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Two embodiments of this invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals denote like parts throughout several views, and in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of a first embodiment of apparatus adapted to sequentially and automatically ice batter cakes in foil cake trays or the like, constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view ofa portion of the apparatus of FIG. 1, showing the apparatus in the first of several sequential steps in its operation;

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are views similar to the view of FIG. 2, showing the same portion of the apparatus in further sequential steps of its operation;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of one portion of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a schematic elevational view of a second embodiment of an apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention; and

FIG. 8 is a view of one portion of the apparatus of FIG. 7, as seen from another perspective.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Attention is first directed to FIG. 7, in which an apparatus generally designated by the numeral 10 is seen to include a first rotary element 12 and a second rotary element 14 mounted for rotation about a first and a second shaft 15 and 16 respectively. The first and second shafts 15 and 16 are both fixed with respect to some reference structure, the reference structure in this case being the frame of the apparatus 10 (not shown). For the sake of simplicity, the frame of the apparatus can be considered fixed with respect to the drawing paper itself.

Entrained over the rotary elements 12 and 14 is an endless conveyor 18 having an upper reach 20 and a lower reach 21. The endless conveyor may take any suitable form, such as an endless belt, although for reasons presently to be explained, it is preferred to employ a positive-engagement chain conveyor, which may be made up of two, three or more parallel chain runs having their upper reaches in a common horizontal plane, and having their motions locked together. i In FIG. 7, a number of simplifications have been made for the sake of clarity. One of these simplifications has been the assumption that the first rotary element 12 which carries the endless conveyor 18 has the same radius as the driving cog which transfers rotary power to the first rotary element 12 by way of the shaft 15. Thus, the outer periphery of the first rotary element '12 is taken to represent both the element carrying the endless'conveyor l8 and a driving cog which transfers power ultimately to the endless conveyor 18.

Located below the firstrotary element 12 is a mechanism'shown generally at 22 which serves a number of functions. Firstly,'the mechanism 22 provides the positive drive for the endless conveyor 18. Secondly, the mechanism 22 is capable of an infinite adjustment of the instantaneous position of the conveyor 18 with respect to a particular phase in the operation of the portion of the apparatus 10 shown above the endless conveyor 18. Thirdly, the mechanism 22, which utilizes a chain drive shown by the broken line 24, is capable of compensating for and taking up any progressive slack that may occur in the chain drive 24 as it becomes worn through use. Fourthly, the mechanism 22 is capable of regularly accelerating and decelerating the speed of the endless conveyor 18 in phase with the portion of the apparatus 10 shown above the endless conveyor 18 and shortly to be described. Lastly, the mechanism 22 is capable of infinitely adjusting the degree of acceleration and deceleration mentioned in the preceding sentence.

In the mechanism 22, cog 25 is the principal driving cog, and it is to be understood that a suitable power source (not shown) is provided to turn the cog 25. The chain drive 24 extends from the cog 25, around a freely rotating cog 26, then passes around a freely rotating cog 28 fixed to a sliding member 29, and passes around a further freely rotating cog 30. From the cog 30 the chain drive 24 passes around the cog described earlier which is shown for simplicity to have a diameter equal to that of the first rotary element 12, then extends downwardly to a further freely rotating cog 32 also mounted on the sliding member 29, and finally around a further freely rotating cog 33 and then back to the driving cog 25. The cogs 25, 26, 30 and 33 are all mounted to a plate member 34 which is fixed with respect to the frame of the apparatus 10, although it is preferable that the axis of at least one of the cogs on the plate member 34, for example cog 30, be adjustable in order to take up any slack that may progressively appear in the chain drive 24 through wear.

As seen in FIG. 7, the sliding member 29 is rectilinearIy slidable in the general direction toward and away from the first rotary element 12, and thus carries the cogs 28 and 32 together toward or away from the first rotary element 12.

schematically shown at the bottom of the mechanism 22 is a cam-controlled lever arm 37 which pivots freely about a shaft 38, and which carries a follower wheel 39 on its rightward end and an impulse wheel 40 on its leftward end.

The follower wheel 39 is adapted to roll against the outer periphery of a cam 42 which rotates in synchronism with a cog 43, in turn driven synchronously with the driving cog 25 by way of a secondary chain drive 45.

The impulse wheel 40 is understood to bear against an appropriate lower surface 46 of the sliding member 29, and the latter is understood to be guided for free sliding motion in the direction of the two-headed arrow 48.

it will now be appreciated that, as the driving cog 25 rotates, the cam 42 is caused to rotate and to rock the lever arm 37 back and forth in an oscillatory motion about the shaft 38, one complete cycle taking place for each revolution of the cog 43.

As the sliding member 29 reciprocates up and down in the direction of the two-headed arrow 48, the endless conveyor 18 speeds up and slows down (accelerates and decelerates) in a uniform manner as will now be more clearly explained.

The acceleration and deceleration of the endless conveyor 18 is best understood by considering what would take place if the driving cog 25 were held stationary while the sliding member 29 were to be moved back and forth along its slideway, to follow the same motion as that impressed upon it by the oscillatory motion of the lever 37. If it is first imagined that the sliding member 29 is moving downardly while the driving cog 25 is stationary, it will be seen that the stretch 50 and the stretch 51 of the chain drive 24 will remain stationary, but that the downward movement of the cog 32 will cause the stretch 53 (which extends from the cog 32 upwardly to the cog whose radius is the same as the first rotary element 12) to move downwardly at twice the downward speed of the sliding member 29. This will cause the shaft 15 and the first rotary element 12 to rotate in the counter-clockwise direction as seen in FIG. 7, as the cog 28 moves downwardly to permit the stretch 54 to move upwardly while the stretch 56 moves downwardly. Thus, downward movement of the sliding member 29 causes counter-clockwise rotation of the first rotary element 12. By the reverse procedure, which need not be explained in as much detail. an upward movement of the sliding member 29 causes clockwise rotation of the first rotary element 12. As described above, the first and second rotary elements 12 and 14 move in tandem by virtue of the endless conveyor 18. I 7

If now the reciprocatory sliding movement of the sliding member 29 is impressed upon the normal unidirectional motion of the endless conveyor 18, as promoted by the constant-speed rotation of the driving cog 25, it will be immediately appreciated that the actual linear speed of the endless conveyor 18 will go through alternating acceleration and deceleration, with one complete cycle taking place for each revolution of the cam 42.

It is contemplated and provided by this invention that the endless conveyor 18 will go through one complete cycle of acceleration and deceleration for each of a series of cake trays 58 that are carried leftwardly along the upper reach 20 of the endless conveyor 18. The reason for this correlation will become apparent as the remaining components of this apparatus are described below.

Naturally, the person skilled in the trade can easily select the relative sizes of the cogs and the relative length of the lever arm 37 to achieve any degree of cyclical acceleration and deceleration. Furthermore, the net travel of the endless conveyor 18 per unit cycle can also be adjusted.

By making the shaft 38 adjustable vertically of the plate member 34 (as seen in FIG. 7) and also by causing it to be adjustable longitudinally of the lever arm 37 (conventional structure to accomplish this is not shown for the sake of simplicity), the particular phase of the accelerationdeceleration cycle can be adjusted with respect to the operation of the components situated above the endless conveyor 18, and the degree of acceleration and deceleration can also be controlled. The particular speed of movement of the sliding member 29 at the different points in its acceleration-deceleration cycle can of course be controlled by selecting a proper contour for the cam 42.

Attention is now directed to the uppermost components of the apparatus 10, shown generally by the numeral 60 in FIG. 7.

A lever arm 62 is pivoted to the frame about an axis identified by the shaft 63 and extends leftwardly from the axis to terminate in a freely rotating wheel 64 which in turn supports an eccentric boss 65.

A chain-driven cog 66 is keyed to the wheel 64 and is driven by a chain drive 67 which is also entrained about a further cog 68 mounted for rotation about an axis 69 fixed to the lever arm 62 in proximity to the shaft 63. Keyed to the cog 68 is a Geneva wheel 70, which (again for convenience) is assumed to have the same diameter as the cog 68. The Geneva wheel 70 has four radial slots into and out of which the pin 72 of the conventional drive wheel 73 is adapted to move. The drive wheel 73 has its axis coincident with the axis 63, although this is not essential.

The lever arm 62 has a downward extension 74 which carries a follower wheel 76 adapted to follow the contours of a second cam 77 which rotates in the clockwise direction about an axis 78. It is understood that the speed of rotation of the second cam 77 is the same as the speed of rotation of the drive wheel 73, so that the Geneva wheel 70 indexes once for every rotation of the second cam 77.

Freely pivoted for oscillatory motion in the plane of the drawing sheet is a structure 80 which includes an upwardly extending shaft 82, and a downwardly extending nozzle 83. The nozzle 83 is hollow, has a slot like opening 84 at the bottom, and is supplied with icing through a supply tube86 from an icing supply which is not shown.

An adjustable clamp 87 is secured to the shaft 82 and pivotally supports a link arm 89 of which the other end 90 is freely pivoted on a vertically adjustable block 92, the block 92 being adjustable with respect to a slideway 93, which is part of the frame of the apparatus 10. A set screw 94 is provided to secure the block 92 at a desired position in the slideway 93.

The upper components 60 are pictured in FIG. 7 in the middle of the transfer cycle wherein the nozzle 83 shifts from a completed cake tray into an un-iced cake tray. The cake on the left in FIG. 7 has been iced, while the cake on the right in FIG. 7 has not yet been iced.

A stopper 95 is positioned within the nozzle 83 and is adapted (by conventional mechanism not shown) to block the opening 84 when the nozzle 83 is in its transfer cycle from one tray to the next, and to unblock the opening 84 when a cake is to be iced.

The above-described components of the entire apparatus are intended to function in the following way:

In the particular instantaneous position illustrated in FIG. 7 the sliding member 29 is moving on the downstroke because the cam 42 has its radius decreasing at the point of contact with follower wheel 39. Thus, follower wheel 39 is moving upwardly, which means that impulse wheel 40 is moving downwardly to permit downward sliding of the sliding member 29. The downward movement of sliding member 29 causes an increase in the speed of the endless conveyor 18 (acceleration), during the short period in which the nozzle 83 is transferring from an iced cake to an uniced cake, i.e. from the leftward cake to the rightward cake in FIG. 7.

Looking now at the upper components 60 in FIG. 7, it will be noted that the drive wheel 73 and its pin 72 are exactly in the middle of one indexing stroke for the Geneva wheel 70. Thus, the Geneva wheel is at the mid position of its periodic quarter-revolution (revolution through For every'quarter-turn of the Geneva wheel 70, the wheel 64 at the other end of the lever arm 62 rotates one complete revolution through 360. The periodic revolution of the wheel 64 starts with the eccentric boss 66 at the lowermost position (6 oclock position) and terminates with the eccentric boss at the same lowermost position. The rotation of both the Geneva wheel 70 and the wheel 64 is clockwise as seen in FIG. 7. It will thus be appreciated that the upper end of the nozzle 83 undergoes a circular motion with respect to the lever arm 62 when the wheel 64 rotates through 360, but because the upper end of the shaft 82 is constrained to move in a substantially vertical direction (being restrained against lateral motion by the link arm 89), the result is that the slot-like opening 84 at the bottom of the nozzle 83 undergoes what is substantially an elliptical motion, with the major axis of the ellipse horizontal. The locus of the motion of the slot-like opening 84 is shown in broken line in FIG. 7.

One last motion is superimposed upon the nozzle during the sequential icing of the trays, that being the periodic raising and lowering of the lever arm 62 due to the second cam 77. At the instantaneous position shown in FIG. 7, the second cam 77 is exposing a surface of uniform radius to the follower wheel 76, and therefore there is no pivoting motion of the lever arm 62 taking place at the particular time captured in FIG. 7. The second cam 77 is so designed that, while the wheel 64 is undergoing its 360 revolution. the lever arm 62 is stationary. However, once the eccentric boss 66 return to the 6 oclock position, thus returning the nozzle 83 to its lowermost position. the second cam 77 gradually raises and lowers the lever arm 62 to follow the slightly curved contour of the upper surface of the cake, as shown in FIG. 7. Naturally, no two cake contours are identical, but the automatic procedures by which the cakes are baked permits the calculation of a mean contour for which the second cam 77 can be designed.

Thus, the next phase after that shown in FIG. 7 is the return of the slot-like opening 84 to its lowermost position along the rightward part of the locus identified by the broken lines, which lowermost position will find the opening 84 within the rightward cake tray at its leading end (the leftward end), closely adjacent and preferably touching the foil tray. By this point, the second cam 77 has rotated to where the follower wheel 76 begins to advance up the surface of increasing radius. Simultaneously, the stopper 95 which had been blocking the slot-like opening 84 during the revolution of the wheel 64, is withdrawn upwardly inside the nozzle 83 (by a timed mechanism not shown), to permit icing to begin flowing out through the slot-like opening 84. The second cam 77 causes the lever arm 62 and thus the nozzle 83 to rise slightly and settle back down so as to follow more or less the contour of the cake, and just as the opening 84 reaches the rightward end of the rightward cake tray 58, the drive wheel 73 comes around again to where it begins to actuate the Geneva wheel 70, turning the latter through another one-quarter turn, and causing the wheel 64 to rotate again through 360 in the counter-clockwise direction.

FIG. 8 shows a preferred contour 95 of the slot 84 as seen looking in the direction of motion of the endless conveyor 18. It will be noted that the contour 95 is concave downwardly, to approximately match the contour of the upper surface of the cake taken across the tray.

It is important to appreciate that the primary purpose for providing the mechanims 22, which accelerates and decelerates the speed of travel of the endless conveyor 18, is to permit an adjustment of the length of the icing stroke of the nozzle 83 with respect to a moving tray 58. It has been found that the most satisfactory icing of the cakes takes place when the nozzle 83 just touches the leading end of the foil tray at the beginning of the icing stroke and just touches the trailing edge of the foil tray at the end of the icing stroke. The fine tuning of this relative motion, for the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, is accomplished by adjusting the position of the pivot means 38 longitudinally of the lever arm 37, and by adjusting it vertically with respect to the plate member 34. It will be clear that other mechanical means of providing an adjustable acceleration and deceleration of the conveyor 18 could also be employed.

It is an important feature of the method of this invention that the slot-like opening 84 in the nozzle be adjusted such that, during the transfer portion of its cycle (in the middle of which it is shown in FIG. 7), it moves leftwardly out of one tray at a faster speed than the speed of that tray, and moves leftwardly into the next subsequent tray at a faster speed than the speed of that subsequent tray. This will ensure that the tail-end of an icing sheet trailing from the nozzle will be laid down flat upon the icing layer just completed in a first tray. and that the leading end of an icing sheet about to be deposited upon the next subsequent tray will settle on the baked cake rather than against the foil. The result of this provision is a smoothly iced cake with any excess icing deposited over the cake itself rather than on or against the foil.

An adjustment of the speed at which the nozzle begins and terminates its transfer cycle (elleptical mo tion) can be made through an appropriate selection of the position of the clamp 87 with respect to the shaft 82.

In regard to the transfer portion of the cycle, it will be understood that other convention mechanical means could be used to achieve the intermittent motion that is here accomplished by the Geneva wheel.

Attention is now directed to FIG. 1, showing in perspective a second embodiment of apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention.

In FIG. 1, there are two parallel tracks or runs 100, along which sequential trays 101, each containing a baked batter cake 102, are conveyed. Each run is defined by a pair of parallel L-bars 104, spaced apart in such a way as to slidingly receive the sequential trays 101. The upper reaches of two endless chains 106 are located centrally between each pair of L-bars 104, each endless chain 106 carrying a plurality of spaced pusher elements 107 adapted to engage sequential ones of the trays 101, and move them from right to left as seen in FIG. I. The trays 101 illustrated in FIG. 1 are substantially rectangular, and thus it is possible to speak of each tray having a leading edge I08 and a trailing edge 110. The pusher elements 107 are adapted to engage the trailing edges 110 of the respective trays l0l.

Two icing nozzles 1l2 are supported by components of the assembly shortly to be described, one of the nozzles 112 being situated above and in operative relation with each run 100. Each nozzle 112 is adapted to ice sequential ones of the batter cakes 102 being conveyed along its respective run 100 in the trays 101.

In order to make the working of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 as clear as possible, the main motions of specific components of the apparatus with respect to one another will be first outlined, with reference to FIGS.

1 and 2.

Firstly, the L-bars 104 are stationary with respect to the general frame work of the apparatus (not shown in its entirety), and these can be considered fixed with respect to the drawing sheet. Two main plates 114 in FIG. 1 are also fixed portions of the frame of the apparatus, the more remote of the plates 114 in FIG. 1 being partly obscured by other components of the apparatus.

These two main plates 114 support two outstanding cleavis members 116, of which only one is visible in FIG. I. It is to be understood that the two members I 16 together define the equivalent of a single cleavis. A pivot shaft 117 is secured between and across the cleavis members 116, and is situated horizontally. It is about this pivot shaft 117 that the major arm components of the apparatus are adapted to swing, as will now be described.

A first arm component 118 is seen in FIG. 1 to include a T-shaft 120 and two spaced arms 122, 122'. These arms are mounted for free pivotal motion about the pivot shaft 1 l7, and are fixed with respect to the T shaft 120. In other words, the T-shaft I20 and the arms I22, 122' move a single unit, without any articulation' at the point of connection between the T-shaft 120 and the arms.

A second arm component 124 includes a T-shaft 126 and two arms 127. The arms 127 are mounted for free pivotal movement about the pivot shaft 117, and the T-shaft 126 is rigidly secured to the ends of the arms 127, and thus is adapted to move as a unit with the arms 127, there being no pivotal movement or articulation between the arms 127 and the T-shaft 126.

Mounted at the leftward end of the T-shaft 120 for free rotation about a shaft 128 are two sprockets 130. Although the two sprockets 130 are not linked together, it will appear from the subsequent description of the operative portions of this apparatus that the sprockets 130 always rotate in unison. Extending outwardly from each sprocket 130, at a location which is eccentric with respect to the shaft 128, is a boss 132.

Each nozzle 112 is part of a rigid structure which includes an upward extension 134. Each nozzle and extension combination is adapted to pivot about one of the bosses 132, pivotal motion thus taking place in a vertical plane.

Finally, a link arm 136 is pivotally connected to the outer end of the T-shaft 126 at one end, and includes at its other end a T-member 138 which is pivotally connected to the upper ends of the extensions 134.

To summarize, the pivot shaft 117 constitutes a fixed axis from which the first arm component 118 extends generally horizontally to the left in FIG. 1, and from which the second arm component 124 extends generally vertically upwardly in FIG. 1. Rotatable sprockets 130 are mounted at the other end of the first arm component l 18, and carry eccentric bosses about which the nozzle and extension combinations are adapted to pivot. The first and second arm components 118 and 124, together with the extensions 134 and the link arm 136, approximately define a parallelegram linkage, which is somewhat more complicated due to the rotatable and eccentric mounting of the nozzles 112 (to gether with their upward extension 134) to the end of the first arm component 118.

The basic motions of the lower ends of the nozzles 112 in the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 are essentially similar to the motions of the nozzle 83 in FIG. 7. Thus, a Geneva or similar drive is provided to cause the sprockets 130 to rotate on an intermittent basis, for the purpose of lifting the nozzles 112 forwardly and upwardly out of one cake tray after the cake in that cake tray has been iced, and for re-inserting the nozzle into the next subsequent cake tray to begin the icing of that particular cake. Likewise, there is provided cam means (later to be described in more detail) for the purpose of gradually raising and then again lowering the first arm component 118, and thus the nozzles 112, during the icing sequence, in order to allow for the crown of a baked batter cake.

The problem of adjusting the position of the nozzle 112 with respect to a cake tray 101 at the beginning and at the end of the icing of the cake, however, is solved in a different manner than that utilized in the apparatus of FIG. 7. It will be recalled that, in FIG. 7, each cake tray is adjusted with respect to the nozzle 83 by virtue of accelerating and decelerating the speed of the endless conveyor 18 by means of the apparatus 22 shown below the conveyor 18 in FIG. 7. In the apparatus of FIG. 1, however, it is contemplated that the endless chains 106 move at a constant speed, and that the nozzles 112 be adjusted with respect to the trays 101 by virtue of being rocked slightly about the pivots constitued by the bosses 132. The slight rocking of the nozzles 112, later to be described in greater detail, is ac- 5 complished through the link arm 136 and through a slight but adjustable oscillation of the second arm component 124.

Attention is now directed to FIG. 2, for a description in greater detail of the components of the apparatus shown in perspective in FIG. 1.

In FIG. 2 in can be seen that the remote arm 122 forming a part of the first arm component 118 is shaped differently from the arm 122 situated closest to the viewer in FIG. 1. As seen in FIG. 2, the remote arm 122 includes two spaced upstanding portions 140, 141, through which a horizontal threaded bolt member 143 extends. The leftward end of the bolt member 143 is adapted to rotate freely within the upstanding portion 140, but is restrained against axial movement with respect to the upstanding portion 140. Threadably received upon the threads 144 of the bolt member 143 is a sliding block 145 which carries a fixed pin 146 adapted to engage in a slot 147 of a follower arm 149 which carries a freely rotatable follower wheel 150 at its lower leftward end, and which is pivoted at the pin 152 to the arm 122.

It will thus be appreciated that rotation of the bolt member 143 will cause the sliding block 145 to move leftwardly or rightwardly, thereby causing the follower arm 149 to pivot in one direction or the other about the pivot pin 152. This will effectively raise or lower the follower wheel 150 with respect to the T-shaft 120.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the main plates 114 include portions 154 which support for free rotation a shaft 156 to which is locked a cam wheel 157. Also locked with respect to the shaft 156 is a sprocket 159 adapted to be positively driven in a continuous manner by a chain drive 160.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, the follower wheel 150 is adapted to bear against the outer periphery of the cam wheel 157, and thus to repose the entire weight of the nozzles 112, the first arm component 118, and the other associated components against the cam wheel 157. To further ensure the positive engagement between the follower wheel 150 and the cam wheel 157, a tension spring 161 is provided, with its lower end attached to a horizontal strut 162 supported between the two main plates 114, and with its upper end hooked on a downwardly projecting lug 163 which is rigidly connected to the underside of the T-shaft 120. The tension spring 161 is necessary, as will later appear, in order to prevent the inertial forces created by certain rapid movements of the nozzles 112 from throwing the first arm components 118 upwardly away from the position represented by contact between the follower wheel 150 and the cam wheel 157.

It will be noted particularly in FIG. 2 that the cam wheel 157 has an essentially circular outer periphery, but is mounted eccentrically with respect to the peripheral circle. In FIG. 2 and in subsequent drawings, the point of maximum spacing wheel 157 is marked by a small solid triangle, which in FIG. 2 is at the location marked by the number 164.

In FIG. 2, the shaft 156 and the rotational members mounted securely to the shaft 156 are rotating in the counterclockwise direction, which means that the follower wheel 150 is running up hill, in a sense, as the cam wheel 157 rotates further to bring the point of maximum displacement (shown by the triangle) closer to the follower wheel 150. In FIG. 3, it will be seen that the point of maximum displacement has rotated to the topmost position during the time that the cake tray 101 has moved from the FIG. 2 position to the point where the centre of the tray is directly vertically beneath the centre of the shaft 128 at the leftward end of the T- shaft 120. Thus, when the tray 101 has reached the FIG. 3 position, half of the surface of the batter cake 102 has been iced by the nozzle 112. The nozzle 112, during the movement from the position shown in FIG. 2 to that shown in FIG. 3, has been caused to rise up slightly, due to the rotating cam wheel 157, and in so doing allows for the crown of the batter cake 102, this crown being clearly seen in FIG. 2.

The FIG. 4 position shows the cake tray 101 at the end of the icing stroke, with the cam wheel 157 having rotated further to carry the maximum displacement position (shown by the triangle 164) further around and away from the follower wheel 150. This allows the T- shaft 120 and the nozzles 112 to drop down slightly, again to follow the crown contour of the batter cake 102 in the tray 101.

It will be seen by comparing FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 that, in addition to the slight upward and downward movement of the nozzles 112, caused by the rotation of the cam wheel 157, the nozzles 112 also swing slightly from a position leftward of the vertical in FIG. 2 through the vertical orientation in FIG. 3, to a position slightly rightward of the vertical in FIG. 4. This swinging motion takes place during the icing of each sequential tray. After the icing of each particular tray has been completed (at the FIG. 4 position), the nozzles 112 are removed from the completed tray and inserted into the next tray, while at the same time being swung back from the slope shown in FIG. 4 (to the right of the vertical) to the slope shown in FIG. 2 (to the left of the vertical). The mechanism which accomplishes the withdrawal and re-insertion of the nozzles 112 will be subsequently described in greater detail, but for the present discussion it is sufficient to understand that the oscillation of the nozzles 112 about the vertical does take place, and further to appreciate that the time required for the nozzle to swing from the FIG. 2 position counter-clockwise to the FIG. 4 position is about twice as long as the time necessary to swing back from the FIG. 4 position to the FIG. 2 position. The specific mechanism which accomplishes this fast-slow oscillation will now be described.

Attention is directed to FIGS. 1 through 4, in which it will be seen that a wheel 166 is also mounted on the shaft 156. The wheel 166 carries an eccentric boss 168 which is carried one full circle in the counter-clockwise direction for every revolution of the shaft 156. The boss 168 is captively slideable within an elongated slot 170 in an arm member 172 which is mounted for free swinging movement about a pivot point 173 (FIG. 2) fixed with respect to the nearer one of the main plates 114. As seen in FIG. 1, the arm member 172 defines a slideway 174 between two ledge portions 176 which are fixed with respect to the arm member 172.

It will further be noted in FIG. 1 that the nearer of the upstanding arms 127 includes a horizontally projecting portion 177 to which a vertical link 178 is freely pivoted at 180. Extending through the vertical link 178 at a location spaced beneath the pivot point 180 is a bolt 182 which, on the far side of the vertical link 178, threadably engages a short cylindrical stub 184 which is snugly but slideably received within the slideway 174.

It is important to understand that the movements of the boss 168 and of the stub 184 with respect to the arm member 172 are completely independent of each other. Because the arm member 172 is pivoted to the frame at the point 173, it is caused to oscillate back and forth through a given angle due to the circular motion of the boss 168, and it in turn causes a slight upward and downward oscillation of the vertical link 178, which motion is more or less pronounced depending upon the displacement of the axis of the stub 184 with respect to the pivot point 173. This is clearly seen in FIG. 2, where a slight displacement between the pivot point 173 and the axis of the stub 184 is illustrated. The extent of this displacement can be controlled by rotating a threaded member 186, to which a block 188 is mounted in such a way that the threaded member 186 may rotate with respect to the block 188 but may not move axially with respect to the block 188. Rotation of the threaded member 186 thus moves the block 188 to the left or to the right as seen in FIG. 2. The block 188 carries a cylindrical stub 190 which is captive within a slot 191 at the lower end of a vertical link 192 which has its upper end pivoted at 193 to a location which is fixed with respect to the frame. Finally, a connecting link 194 pivotally joins the lower end of the vertical link 178 with the middle section of the vertical link 192. It will thus be appreciated, particularly in FIG. 2, that rotation of the threaded member 186 will cause the displacement bet-ween the stub 184 and the pivot point 173 to vary. By rotating the threaded member 186 in such a way as to take the block 188 to the right in FIG. 2, it is possible to bring the axis of the cylindrical stub 184 into coincidence with the pivot point 173.

It will now be appreciated that as the wheel 166 rotates, the arm member 172 undergoes oscillatory motion such that movement in one direction lasts longer than return movement in the other direction.

More specifically, in FIG. 2, the boss 168 is moving around in the counter-clockwise direction, and as it continues on from the FIG. 2 position, it initiates counter-clockwise rotation of the arm member 172 about the pivot point 173. FIG. 3 shows the arm member 172 about half-way through the counterclockwise part of its oscillatory motion, while FIG. 4 shows the arm member 172 at the end of the clockwise portion of its oscillatory motion. It will also be appreciated that movement of the wheel from the FIG. 2 position to the FIG. 4 position constitutes approximately two-thirds of one complete cycle. The remaining third of a single revolution of the wheel 166 will carry the boss 168 back from the FIG. 4 orientation to the FIG. 2 orientation, and this will automatically cause the arm member 172 to swing back in the clockwise direction about the pivot point 173. Thus, it takes approximately twice as long for the arm member 172 to swing down from the FIG. 2 position to the FIG. 4 position as it does to swing back up to the FIG. 2 position. Now, provided that there is some actual displacement between the axis of the stub 184 and the pivot point 173, the varying oscillatory motion of the arm member 172 will be transmitted, via the vertical link 178 and the horizontal projecting portion 177, to the arms 127 and thus to the second arm component 124. Thus the upper end of the T-shaft 126 will oscillate back and forth with a motion reflectingthe motion of the lever arm 172. Likewise, the nozzles 112 will oscillate back and forth with substantially the same motion.

Looking again at FIGS. 2 through 4, it will now be appreciated that the mechanism described immediately above is such that the rocking motion of the nozzles 12 from the FIG. 2 position in which they slope slightly downstream with respect to the direction of tray travel, to the FIG. 4 position, in which they slope slightly upstream with respect to the direction of tray travel, takes about twice as much time the return from the FIG. 4 to the FIG. 2 orientation. This is in accordance with the spacing, and it will be seen that the gap between sequential trays is approximately one-half of the longitudinal extent of each tray in the direction of travel.

When the FIG. 4 position has been reached, in which the nozzle 112 slopes slightly upstream with respect to the direction of tray travel, and the icing of one tray has been completed, the sprockets 130, mounted at the leftward end of the T-shaft 120, are caused to undergo one complete rotation in the clockwise direction as seen in the Figures, with the bosses 132 beginning and ending at their lowermost 6 oclock position, in order to withdraw the nozzles 112 from the completed tray, and to re-insert them rearwardly adjacent the leading edges of the next subsequent tray. This inter mittent rotation of the sprockets 132 is caused by a Geneva mechanism 195 (or equivalent mechanism), and is of course carefully timed with respect to the instantaneous positions of the trays. As seen in FIG. 1, a Geneva mechanism 195, which in this case would be a two-to-one intermittent rotary mechanism, drives a first chain 196, which in turn rotates a sprocket 197 which is adapted to rotate freely about the axis of the pivot shaft 117. Keyed to the sprocket 197 to rotate therewith are two driven sprockets 198, which also rotate about the axis of the pivot shaft 117. Two side-byside chain drives 200 transfer the rotation of the driven sprockets 198 to the sprockets 130. Vertically adjustable idler sprockets 201 are provided for the purpose of tightening the chain drives 200 to the desired degree, and for taking up any slack thay may occur in the chain drives 200, through wear.

It will now be appreciated that, since the upper ends of the extensions 134 are substantially constrained against horizontal movement in the direction in which the link arm 136 lies, due to the small and limited motion of the upper end of the T-shaft 126, the bottom ends of the nozzles 112 will undergo an exaggerated facsimile of the rotary motion of the bosses 132. It will be understood that this is due to the lever principle, and is dependent upon the relative lengths of the nozzles 112 and of the extensions 134. The icing slot at the bottom end ofeach nozzle 112 will travel along a path which is substantially elliptical, as shown by the sequential instantaneous positions identified by the numeral 204 in FIG. 5. It will be seen that the essentially elliptical looped path has its long axis in the horizontal direction, due to the lever action of the nozle 112, and it wil be understood that the speed of rotation of the sprockets 130 and the relative lengths of the nozzles 112 and the extensions 134 can be chosen in such a way as to ensue that the forward (leftward) motion of the slot 202 at the beginning of the rotation of the sprockets 130 is faster than the similtaneous speed of the trays 101, so that any trailing bits of icing from the nozzle 112 will be laid down flat over the icing surface already applied. It will also be understood that similtaneously with the initiation of the clockwise rotation of the sprockets 130, the passage of icing downwardly through the slot 202 at the bottom of the nozzles 112 is arrested. This is accomplished, as seen in FIG. 5, by a cylinder 206 which may be air or hydraulically operated, including inlet and outlet lines 207, and controlling a blockage member 209 within and at the bottom end of each nozzle 112. The blockage member 209 is simply driven downwardly to block up the slot 202 when it is desired to arrest the passage of icing through the slot 202, and is retracted upwardly to initiate the flow of icing after nozzle transfer from one cake tray to the next subsequent cake tray has taken place. A vertical shaft 210 extending downwardly from the cylinder 206 to the blockage member 209 serves to positively displace blockage member 209.

Returning to FIG. 2, the instantaneous sequential positions shown by the numeral 210 identify the other half of the locus or looped path followed by the slot 202 at the bottom of each nozzle 112. Naturally, as soon as the nozzles 112 have reached the position shown in FIG. 2, immediately rearwardly adjacent the leading edges 108 of the cake trays 101, the blockage member 209 is withdrawn upwardly by the cylinder 206, to permit icing to flow through the slot 202 and onto the surface of the batter cake 102.

It will now be appreciated that, by adjusting the threaded member 186, the actual slope upstream and downstream of the nozzles 112 at the beginning and the end of the icing sequence for a given tray can be controlled. By causing the axis of the stub 184 to be coincident with the pivot point 173, no oscillatory motion whatever would be experienced by the nozzles 112. In such a situation, except for the rotation of the sprocket 130, the nozzles 112 would remain in a vertical orientation. The further away the axis of the stub 184 is located from the pivot point 173, the greater will be the downstream and upstream slope of the nozzles 112 at the beginning and the ending of the icing sequence. In this way, it is possible to adjust the position of the slot 102 with respect to the leading and trailing edges of the tray 202, and furthermore this adjustment can takeplace during the running of the machine. It is not necessary to shut down the apparatus in order to make this adjustment Attention is now directed to FIG. 6, which shows certain mechanisms adapted to disengage the cam wheel 157 from the follower wheel and to set an unchanging horizontal orientation for the first arm component 118. In order to accomplish such disengagement, the bolt number 143 is first rotated in such a way that the follower arm 149 rotates in the counterclockwise direction about the pivot pin 152 as shown. As seen in FIG. 6, the nearer am 127 constituting part of the second arm component 124 has a rightward extension 213 to which is pivoted a cylindrical member 214, having an internally threaded bore into which is screwed a bolt 216. The bolt 216 passes through a restraining block 218 which is fixed with respect to the frame, and in the position shown in FIG. 6, the bolt head 219 is pulled upwardly against restraining portion 218, thus setting the horizontal orientation of the first arm component 118. Rotation of the bolt 216 permits adjustment of this horizontal orientation of the first arm component 118.

Also shown in FlG. 6 is a simplified mechanism for continuously adjusting the timing of the actuation of the cylinder 206. to begin and end the passage of icing through the slots 202. A valve box 221 has extending from it a follower arm 222 having a follower wheel 223 at its end. The shaft 156 has a further sprocket 224 secured to it, and a chain drive 226 conveys the rotation of the sprocket 224 to a further sprocket 227 which in turn causes the rotation of a pivotally mounted shaft 228. Fixed to the pivotally mounted shaft 228 are two cam wheels 229, only one of which is completely visible in FlG. 6. The other cam wheel is identical to, but largely hidden by, the visible one. The nearer cam wheel 229 has essentially a circular outer periphery but includes a prominence 230. The other cam wheel is identical in shape, and includes a prominence 231, which is the only portion of the other cam wheel that can be seen, Mechanism of known type is provided for continuously adjusting the relative angular orientation between the continuously turning cam wheels 229. The follower wheel 223 seen in FIG. 6 is riding on the outside of the nearer of the cam wheels 229 illustrated. There is also a second follower arm, and follower wheel exactly aligned behind those visible in FIG. 6, but riding on the periphery of the more remote of the two cam wheels 229. It will thus be seen that the follower wheels will engage respective prominences 230 and 231 at different times. One of the cam wheels controls the retraction of the blockage member 209 from the slot 202, and the other controls the insertion of the blockage member 209 into the slot 202. By continuously adjusting the angular orientation between the two cam wheels 230 and 231, the exact relative timing of the insertion and withdrawal of the blockage member 209 can be adjusted.

The delivery of icing to the nozzles 112 is accomplished by means of a positivedisplacement pump (not illustrated) which urges icing from an icing vat into flexible conduits 235 seen in broken line in FIG. 1. The conduits 235 feed the icing into cylindrical intakes 237 on the nozzles 112. Because icing is somewhat compressible, the intermittent blocking of the slots 202 does not create a problem. The positive-displacement pump is simply adjusted to the speed necessary to deliver the desired weight of icing to each batter cake, and is run continuously at that speed.

It will be appreciated that the apparatus disclosed herein is capable of other uses in addition to the icing of cakes. One such use, for example, would be the sequential dispensing of fluid or paste-like material, such as glue or the like, into a series of moving containers.

We claim: 1. Apparatus for sequentially dispensing material into a plurality of containers, comprising:

conveying means for conveying said containers sequentially in a first direction such that each container has a leading edge and a trailing edge,

nozzle means above the containers for delivering material to each container sequentially,

means for inserting the nozzle means into each container rearwardly adjacent the leading edge thereof, for holding said nozzle means in the container as the latter passes under the nozzle means in said first direction, and for with-drawing the nozzle means out of the container when the container has advanced so as to bring the nozzle means to a position forwardly adjacent the trailing edge thereof, said means for inserting the nozzle means including a rotatable member having an axis of rotation and a pivot point eccentric of said axis, means for intermittently and repeatedly rotating said rotatable member a full turn about said axis, and linking means for transferring the motion of said pivot point to the nozzle means such that the nozzle means undergoes loop movement which is at least a facsimile of the movement of the pivot point, said loop movement including initial motion at a first level in the direction of container movement, intermediate motion at a higher level in the opposite direction from that of container movement, and final motion at said first level in the direction of container movement, said loop movement of the nozzle means resulting in the withdrawal of the nozzle means from one container and the insertion of the nozzle means into the next subsequent container,

and control means for initiating the dispensing of material from the nozzle means upon insertion and for terminating said dispensing upon withdrawal.

2. The apparatus claimed in claim 1, in which the containers are cake trays containing baked cakes, and in which the material dispensed is cake icing.

3. The apparatus claimed in claim 2, which includes cam means for first raising and then lowering said nozzle means between sequential loop movements thereof, to allow for the crown of a baked cake in a cake tray.

4. The apparatus claimed in claim 1, in which said initial motion and said final motion are both faster than the speed of container movement during rotation of said rotatable member.

5. The apparatus claimed in claim 1, in which said nozzle means is located at the bottom end of an elongated, substantially vertical member which is pivotally connected at a location spaced above said nozzle means to a rotatable member adapted to rotate about an axis, the point of connection between said vertical member and said rotatable member being eccentric with respect to said axis, the apparatus further including means for intermittently and repeatedly rotating said rotatable member a full turn about the axis, each such full turn rotation beginning and ending with said point of connection positioned substantially vertically beneath said axis, and guiding means for guiding the movement of a portion of said vertical member spaced from said point of connection whereby each full turn rotation of said rotatable member causes the nozzle means to follow said loop movement.

6. The apparatus claimed in claim 5, in which said guiding means includes a link arm extending generally normal to the vertical member in a direction parallel with the tray movement, the link arm being pivoted at one end to a part of the vertical member located above said point of connection, and being pivoted at the other end to a portion of the apparatus which is isolated from the movements of said vertical member, whereby said part of the vertical member is constrained to limited motion in the direction parallel to container movement so that due to the lever principle. the nozzle means has greater displacement in the directions parallel to container movement during rotation of the rotatable member than has the rotatable member itself.

7. The apparatus claimed in claim 6, in which said in itial motion and said final motion are both faster than the-speed of container movement during rotation of said rotatable member.

8. The apparatus claimed in claim 7, in which the containers are cake trays containing baked cakes, and which includes cam means for first raising and then lowering the axis of the rotatable member between sequential full turn rotations thereof, thereby to similarly raise and lower the nozzle means to allow for the crown of a cake in a cake tray.

9. The apparatus claimed in claim 7, in which the said portion of the apparatus to which is pivoted the other end of the link arm is substantially fixed.

10. The apparatus claimed in claim 9, which includes means for adjustably varying the speed of movement of the conveying means, whereby the position of the nossle means with respect to a container at the beginning and at the end of the dispensing can be adjusted.

11. The apparatus claimed in claim 7, in which the said portion of the apparatus to which is pivoted the other end of the link arm is displaceable in the general direction normal to the vertical member, the apparatus including means for controlling displacement of said portion so as to control the positioning of the nozzle means at the beginning and at the end of the movement of the nozzle means around said looped path.

12. The apparatus claimed in claim 11, in which the said means for controlling the displacement of said portion is such that the substantially vertical member slopes downwardly and slightly upstream with respect to container movement when the nozzle means begins to follow said looped path, and slopes downwardly and slightly downstream when the nozzle means has completed said looped path, the said means for controlling being adjustable so as to be capable of adjusting the slope of the substantially vertical member at the beginning and at the end of movement of the nozzle means in said looped path.

13. A method for sequentially dispensing material into a plurality of containers, comprising the steps:

conveying said containers sequentially in a first direction such that each container has a leading edge and a trailing edge, providing nozzle means above the containers adapted to deliver said material intermittently, inserting the nozzle means above each container rearwardly adjacent the leading edge thereof and initiating flow of material through the nozzle means and into the container, holding the nozzle means in the container as the same passes under the nozzle means in said first direction while continuing the flow of material through said nozzle means, and withdrawing the nozzle means out of the container when the same has advanced to where the nozzle means is located forwardly adjacent the trailing edge thereof, while simultaneously terminating the dispensing of material through said nozzle, the speed of the nozzle means during both the inserting and withdrawing of the nozzle means having a speed component in said first direction which is faster than the concurrent speed of the Containers. 14. The method claimed in claim 13, in which the containers are cake trays containing baked cakes, and the material is icing, and in which the nozzle means is raised slightly and lowered again as each cake passes under the nozzle means, thereby to allow for the crown of the cake in the cake tray. 

1. Apparatus for sequentially dispensing material into a plurality of containers, comprising: conveying means for conveying said containers sequentially in a first direction such that each container has a leading edge and a trailing edge, nozzle means above the containers for delivering material to each container sequentially, means for inserting the nozzle means into each container rearwardly adjacent the leading edge thereof, for holding said nozzle means in the container as the latter passes under the nozzle means in said first direction, and for with-drawing the nozzle means out of the container when the container has advanced so as to bring the nozzle means to a position forwardly adjacent the trailing edge thereof, said means for inserting the nozzle means including a rotatable member having an axis of rotation and a pivot point eccentric of said axis, means for intermittently and repeatedly rotating said rotatable member a full turn about said axis, and linking means for transferring the motion of said pivot point to the nozzle means such that the nozzle means undergoes loop movement which is at least a facsimile of the movement of the pivot point, said loop movement including initial motion at a first level in the direction of container movement, intermediate motion at a higher level in the opposite direction from that of container movement, and final motion at said first level in the direction of container movement, said loop movement of the nozzle means resulting in the withdrawal of the nozzle means from one container and the insertion of the nozzle means into the next subsequent container, and control means for initiating the dispensing of material from the nozzle means upon insertion and for terminating said dispensing upon withdrawal.
 2. The apparatus claimed in claim 1, in which the containers are cake trays containing baked cakes, and in which the material dispensed is cake icing.
 3. The apparatus claimed in claim 2, which includes cam means for first raising and then lowering said nozzle means between sequential loop movements thereof, to allow for the crown of a baked cake in a cake tray.
 4. The apparatus claimed in claim 1, in which said initial motion and said final motion are both faster than the speed of container movement during rotation of said rotatable member.
 5. The apparatus claimed in claim 1, in which said nozzle means is located at the bottom end of an elongated, substantially vertical member which is pivotally connected at a location spaced above said nozzle means to a rotatable member adapted to rotate about an axis, the point of connection between said vertical member and said rotatable member being eccentric with respect to said axis, the apparatus further including means for intermittently and repeatedly rotating said rotatable member a full turn about the axis, each such full turn rotation beginning and ending with said point of connection positioned substantially vertically beneath said axis, and guiding means for guiding the movement of a portion of said vertical member spaced from said point of connection whereby each full turn rotation of said roTatable member causes the nozzle means to follow said loop movement.
 6. The apparatus claimed in claim 5, in which said guiding means includes a link arm extending generally normal to the vertical member in a direction parallel with the tray movement, the link arm being pivoted at one end to a part of the vertical member located above said point of connection, and being pivoted at the other end to a portion of the apparatus which is isolated from the movements of said vertical member, whereby said part of the vertical member is constrained to limited motion in the direction parallel to container movement so that due to the lever principle, the nozzle means has greater displacement in the directions parallel to container movement during rotation of the rotatable member than has the rotatable member itself.
 7. The apparatus claimed in claim 6, in which said initial motion and said final motion are both faster than the speed of container movement during rotation of said rotatable member.
 8. The apparatus claimed in claim 7, in which the containers are cake trays containing baked cakes, and which includes cam means for first raising and then lowering the axis of the rotatable member between sequential full turn rotations thereof, thereby to similarly raise and lower the nozzle means to allow for the crown of a cake in a cake tray.
 9. The apparatus claimed in claim 7, in which the said portion of the apparatus to which is pivoted the other end of the link arm is substantially fixed.
 10. The apparatus claimed in claim 9, which includes means for adjustably varying the speed of movement of the conveying means, whereby the position of the nossle means with respect to a container at the beginning and at the end of the dispensing can be adjusted.
 11. The apparatus claimed in claim 7, in which the said portion of the apparatus to which is pivoted the other end of the link arm is displaceable in the general direction normal to the vertical member, the apparatus including means for controlling displacement of said portion so as to control the positioning of the nozzle means at the beginning and at the end of the movement of the nozzle means around said looped path.
 12. The apparatus claimed in claim 11, in which the said means for controlling the displacement of said portion is such that the substantially vertical member slopes downwardly and slightly upstream with respect to container movement when the nozzle means begins to follow said looped path, and slopes downwardly and slightly downstream when the nozzle means has completed said looped path, the said means for controlling being adjustable so as to be capable of adjusting the slope of the substantially vertical member at the beginning and at the end of movement of the nozzle means in said looped path.
 13. A method for sequentially dispensing material into a plurality of containers, comprising the steps: conveying said containers sequentially in a first direction such that each container has a leading edge and a trailing edge, providing nozzle means above the containers adapted to deliver said material intermittently, inserting the nozzle means above each container rearwardly adjacent the leading edge thereof and initiating flow of material through the nozzle means and into the container, holding the nozzle means in the container as the same passes under the nozzle means in said first direction while continuing the flow of material through said nozzle means, and withdrawing the nozzle means out of the container when the same has advanced to where the nozzle means is located forwardly adjacent the trailing edge thereof, while simultaneously terminating the dispensing of material through said nozzle, the speed of the nozzle means during both the inserting and withdrawing of the nozzle means having a speed component in said first direction which is faster than the concurrent speed of the containers.
 14. The method claimed in claim 13, in which the containers are cake trays contAining baked cakes, and the material is icing, and in which the nozzle means is raised slightly and lowered again as each cake passes under the nozzle means, thereby to allow for the crown of the cake in the cake tray. 